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Some greener choices

Organic and sustainably grown flowers and plants
Organically grown produce avoids the use of artificial pesticides and fertilisers. Organic certification schemes for flowers and house plants aren’t widely used in the UK at the moment.

Avoid peat
If you can, try to avoid buying plants grown in peat. It may not be easy to find out, but some retailers will be able to tell you, particularly those who grow their plants on site.

Locally in season flowers
Cut flowers that are locally in season can be a greener choice as they are less likely to have been transported long distances by air, or heated during production.

Pot plants
If you buy a house plant rather than fresh flowers, it will have beneficial effects such as filtering pollutants from the air in the room in which it is kept.

• Find UK retailers selling sustainably produced flowers and plants Opens new window
• More about peat

The wider issue

A significant majority of the flowers bought in this country are imported, and since flowers have to reach customers within a few days of being cut they usually come on refrigerated aircraft (from outside Europe), or refrigerated lorries (from Europe). Transporting flowers by air and refrigerating them contributes to climate change effects.

Cut flowers are often grown using fertilisers and treated with pesticides. Both of these types of chemicals can be harmful to the environment, causing water pollution and loss of biodiversity.

• More on pollution
• More on nature under threat

More useful links

• Greener gardens: a quick guide
• Composting and disposing of garden and kitchen waste